The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-19
CHRISTMAS GIFTS.
Pretty Trifies To Be Made by Dainty Fingers
at the Eleventh Hour.

| 10 Oegln WftE. there IS very good 81 Ostitut0
for the despised card and the not to be despsed
| sacher. If you have determined style of sta
tionery, take an envelope, put in bit of cotton
wool wadding and good. generous sitting of
IaVortte perfume. Seal it with your cwn seal
and then on the face paint either some snowy
| chrysanthemums or other 'sprangyn flower,
touch 1t up heavily with gold. and then tie 1t up
with TWO coiors OF "baby ribbon the bows COM
ing on the face. very pretty one already lies
| IN my stationery drawer 1t is an envelope OF a
sha. aeca1s blue called yaetsins blue
cnrysantnemums in red, olive and gold, and il
is tied with red and old gold ribbons. Men and
women alike seem to fancy it.
Another sachetfancy is intended to replace
the white paper which every woman places in
each drawer OF her dressing bureau. ANY ma
terial may be used that is not too heavy to bs
easily folded TO At a different drawer Two verv
thin sheets Of wadding, inclose from one to two
ounces of powder, and the whole is kept in placS
by either lacking with tufts of flosele or tiny
bows of ribbon; embroidery decorative bowa
of white satin ribbon may be added or not For
a practical gift. simple sachet for each drawer
goes far ahead of one very elaborate one.
Still another lot of sweetness is expressed in q
string of tiny bags. like many miniature meal
bags strung along on baby ribbons and hune
mantel shelf. Dull red ribbon about two incho6
wide makes good shaped bags the Part above
the tying place being fringed out to add to the
half-tangled effect. The bags are filled with
wadding and powder. and fastened to baby
ribbon of the same shade about three inches apart
Six or eight bags are used and may either be
plenty of ribbon and tie generous bows other.
wise the effect is ''stringv" and trivial.
For any one clever with either brush EN-.
broicery needle. a set of small fat but really
choice sachets. one for each gown of q friends
wardrobe, is a comparatively easv task to COM
plete There is a suggestion of French fnesse
about them that pleases almost any woman.
John and Arthur not apt to view suck
weaknesses as perfumed nonsense with q for
giving eye. but surely a man who has found hiG
last lawn tie crushed beneath his white waist
coats when he goes to dress for dinner may be
forgiven IL he Is grasified at receiving q sachet
for his white ties. These sachets are made on the
same principle as the faithful. old glove holders
and are just long enough to hold the ties folded
in half and are little less than half a. wide
satn embroidered in design or with a mono
gram, or may be of perfectly plain heavy silk.
The lining is of quilted, perfumed satin and the
ties are kept In place by four straps of narrow
white elastic. two on q side. and fastened in
when back and lining are joined
At last there is a variation in the shaving pa
per theme. Single color tissue papers are cut in
rounds the size of a tea plate, and folded from
the center almost close as possible and the
edges pinked The points-the center of tho
round it is really-are then fastened together.
one after another, until the result is a perfect
SNOWFALL of paper, nothing showing but the
pink edges. ribbon. which is necessary to
hang 1t up by is fastened to the central point
securely, and little opening of the folded paper
produces quite the effect of corn ball, and blue
of hydrangea blossom, while the best part of il
is that the wettest fingers of i'm patient shaver
have not the slightest trouble in giving a sue
cessful tweak to some part of the affair. The
fiat papers of the usual dressing-case are q delu-
sion and snare, and usually last about three
days These papers come off they were put
on, one at time, and for long time the ball
keeps its shape.
The open Japanese fan with the round handle
has in way come up as q rival to the memory
of the late lamented keyboard and rolling PIN
1t is now fitted out to hang upon the wall of the
card board the exact size of the blade of the
fan. cover it with chintz or plush, and add q
shield shaped pocket of the same for the watch;
lower down add two straps of plush to hold scis-
sors and buttonhoo Three or four hooks
sewed to the card board in convenient places
serve to hold keys. shoe-horn. etc. Cover
side OF the fan with silk. lay the plush side on
the fan and sew the two together. Add q eord
all around and cord or ribbon TO hang by handle
up.
To speak of pillows that can be made is to
speak of the curioslties that Barnum will have
next year In the first place. the uses of pill
ows are far too numerous to mention here.
OF individual fancy. Needle pillows. pillows for
pins, sofa and chair pillows fairly crowd the
counters of the fancy goods shops. and she VINO
invents new shape or style is the fiLest of her
flock for the time being 1t may be limited
however, that to divide the pillow coruerwise
with ss on one SIDE t and plush on the other
"Riez" embroidered the silk and pine twigs
on the plush is about as new aud as tasteful as
anything we have yet seen without being
elaborate. The motto or the embroidery may
be eliminated if desired
pleasant deviation from the general scheme
of the work basket is made in a row Of fat little
bags sitting around the edge of silk-covered
cardboard. Soft, strong silk is used, and the
bags are about six inches around. and are each
separate from the other in the making. Each
has its own doubledrawing string at tho top like
old-fashioned reticule. TIE tops must be
we'll turned in TO prevent pulling ont. and il the
bags show any disposition to lop each may be
sewed to its neghbor up as high as the drawing
string, sewing only on the inside that the join
ing may not show. Nine of these bags need a
fnyr Aofro hex1% .srI1k44
circumference. The center space can be used
for scissors or trifles that cannot be put in the
separate pockets
Among other trivialit:es an attempt is being
made by writer on fancy work to induce peo-
pie to wear cases for eyeglasses. 1t Is certainly
very good idea. for every one who is COM
sides an ordinary handkerchief to keep them in
order, or even a case to put upon the dressing
table. but whether the ornamented case will be
accepted as a personal adornment remains to be
seen. These cases, however, it may be said
are made of soft leather satin, lined with
channels The two pieces are cut ont the proper
shape, back and front the same. the edges
turned in and overcast neatly. They are then
buttonholed together the open end being done
the same way on each side, and loop Of silk
braid cord being fastened to the top. A
couplet NAV be etched in fine silk thread or not
according fancy and the colors used should also
follow the taste OF the one who is to be asked in
that fashion which knows no denial to wear the
finished gift.
Reticules and small bags Of one kind and
another do not seem to lose in any degree their
fascination for either the giver or receiver.
Bags of heavy corded silk or even of fine cloth,
made exactly like a lawyers green baize bag.
are the best possible things for certain uses.
Schoolgirls like Them for their girlish treasures
do not meet the public eye surely. House.
keepers like them to carry that unceremoni-
Gus woman carries a few trifling purchases homo
with her. There is nothing in the world like
them for dear motherly old ladies, to whom il
brings back the days Of their girlhood, to have q
couple OF strings cutting their tender left arms,
while for party use. the carrying Of gloves, slip
pers and FAM they quite as useful as the
long purse shaped bag that has been so much
used. The only general directions for the max
ing of q fancy bag comprised in the advice
to ''choose the materials according to tho one
who is to receive it," and s'eshew patch work"
Patchwork in any shape or form save the most
81 mple and unmixed ehape is an insult to an ar
tbs tic eye. Combine then, in your bag, IL you
will, two or three various colors, but as you